The subject invention is directed to a holding element formed of plastic and having a basic body and an adjoining resilient stop or spring retainer. Formed onto the basic body are several resilient detents mounted in opposed pairs oriented with their front surfaces facing the spring retainer.
A similar holding element is already known as state of the art (German Petty Patent 8,113,637). In this known design, the basic body has the shape of a cylinder and there are diagonally opposite pairs of resilient tongues with front surfaces in the same plane. Between the pairs of tongues there is arranged at the circumference of the basic body another pair of resilient tongues, the frontal surfaces of which are positioned in another plane vis-a-vis the underside of the spring retainer. This construction is built in such manner that the result is an expensive fabrication.
The state of the art further includes a holding element whose basic body is also cylindrical in cross section and has two diagonally opposing detents formed thereon (see U.S. Pat. No. 3,393,431). With this known construction, there may result the drawback or disadvantage that with a rotation of 90.degree. around the longitudinal axis firm seating and proper engagement is no longer guaranteed.
Likewise, identical drawbacks and disadvantages are attached to another construction where two opposite detents are equipped with different or stepped gradations (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,424,757; 3,079,581; and, 3,493,918).
Additionally, a holding element is known that has a basic body of rectangular form (see U.S. Pat. No. 2,836,215). In this known construction, only two opposing detents are provided. By placing a screw into a central opening, the detents spread apart and position themselves behind the areas of a support. Thus, with this known construction, a tightening element, namely a screw, is required in order to facilitate fastening to a support.